By BUDDY TABLER
Special to the Tribune
LARNED – The Larned Indians treated a Homecoming crowd to a rare treat Friday as they blasted the Pratt Greenbacks 46-15 in Friday’s opening 3A football District game.
Larned quarterback Dillan Smith completed five touchdown passes and Mason Perez scored three touchdowns.
After a sluggish start, Smith completed a 64-yard touchdown strike to Perez on third-down and 18 yards. That play ignited a big-play offense.
“This is the Larned team that I knew we could be,” said Larned coach Tad Remy. “We didn’t play the first quarter well but we really dialed in for that second quarter.
Pratt tied the score 7-7 on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Blake Coss.
Larned’s offense went into high gear and the Indians scored 27 unanswered points in the final six minutes of the first half for a commanding 34-7 halftime lead.
“Our line played very well tonight,” Remy said. “We ran the ball and, obviously, we had a good night throwing the football. We had four sacks of their quarterback. This is what we are capable of if we eliminate turnovers and penalties.”
Smith completed a 40-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Brock Skelton at the six-minute mark. Smith hit Skelton with a 38-yard touchdown pass after an 8-yard Pratt punt.
Kaden Pontius returned an interception to the Larned 32. On the next play Larned pulled a double reverse out of the hat that culminated in a Smith to Perez touchdown pass and a 28-7 lead.
Larned’s Logan Erway intercepted a pass and returned it 47 yards to the Pratt 23. After a Logan Erway interception, Perez scooted 22 yards for a touchdown and a 34-7 lead after an extra-point kick by Fernando Herrera.
Jace Snyder broke loose for a 69-yard touchdown run that was limited to a 30-yard gain by an illegal block. But Tristan Burger would gather in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Smith for a 40-7 lead. Snyder rambled for a 3-yard touchdown run and the Indians for a 46-7 lead as the third quarter ended.
The fourth quarter was played with a running clock, not something the Greenbacks are not used to seeing. Pratt’s Coss completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Weber to provide the final 46-15 score.
Larned’s Smith had a big night passing. 12 of 16 for 291 yards and five touchdowns. Perez had eight carries for 94 yards while Snyder gained 68 yards on seven carries.
Pratt gained 80 yards rushing and completed 5 of 14 passes but had 4 intercepted. The Greenbacks (0-4, 0-1 District).
Larned (2-2, 1-0 District) plays Holcomb (2-2, 1-0 District) after a 22-21 overtime win over Nickerson.
Pratt 7 0 0 8 – 15
Larned 7 27 12 0 – 46
L—Perez 64 pass from Smith (Herrera kick); P—Coss 4 run; L—Skelton 40 pass from Smith (Herrera kick); L—Skelton 38 pass from Smith (Herrera kick); L—Perez 68 pass from Smith; L—Perez 22 run; L—Burger 26 pass from Smith; L—Snyder 2 run; P—Weber 7 pass from Coss
